Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1887-03-25
CASTE.
Tho hn-Important society Question
Succintly Portrayed.


In that masterpiece Of good humor
called My Summer in Garden" the
author said thar the hort cultural life
would be eminently desirable were it
not for the impudence and power OF
pussy Pussy claims place along
side OF the pea, the strawberry, the
violet. the cucumber. and the rose;
and yet that same "pussly" contains
no single form of merit except its te-
nacity of life. If il were subdivided by
the sharp and angry hoe. each stem
left in the earth would become the pa
rent of a whole progeny of new plants.
Under the struggle with this weed, Mr.
Warner mind was sinking, and. to
rccuperate, he took a stage trip over
the Green Mountains. Riding for IA
day on the box with the driver, he
learned that that driver had once had a
cottage and large vegetable farm. but
had been driven from home by the
wear and tear of his soul among "puss-
Ily."
In the big garden where the human
family is busy among ruts. vines and
grains, this miserable, persistent weed
is called by the name of Caste" but it
is the same old weed. 1t was probably
a native of India, but it had flexible
nature. and could flourish in America
among Christians as well us in Asia
among the unsaved pagans. 1t is n
baneful weed, and yet there is an in
finite number of persons who are fond
of its juice.
The fondness for caste is an ailment
much like that congestion called the
big-head. In India watcr-carrier who
draws from his master 3 month
cherishes a lordly contempt for the
cook or the bottle washer or the wood
splitter. In the heat of argument the
waterman can detect some peculiar
merit in his craft-a merit which the
cook disputes as long as he can find
breath enough for the formation of
audible language. While this argument
under tree, happy in the thought that
his ancestors 90 back into eternity and
began with the gods.
Out of these sublime distinctions be-
tween families came emblems of family
greatness, which were worked upon a
rag tunic or a nankeen nghtcap in coll
ors, which were made unfading by the
fact that the fabric was never wasted.
Thus began heraldry, and, without es-
sential change, thus it continues.
There is no town. city or village in
America where caste is more marked
and severe than in Washington. con.
tinues Professor Swing, in the Chicago
Journal. At Kokomo, Ind. and in
Blue Island. H., marked distinction is
made in favor of a hard-shelled Baptist
and primitive Methodist, while at
Napanee, of the United States, Dunk
or outranks a Presbyterian, and then
the First-day bunker Is outranked by
Scyenth-day bunker These seldom
child comes upon bag of popcorn by
purchase or by the self-denial of chart
~, he divides the treasure, should a
division seem advisable, with a boy %
his own rank in the realm of theology
cal potency,
After most patient study of all
these ccntcrs OF the herallic sentiment,
the fairmindcd student cannot but con-
fcss that the CITY of Washington pos
Sesses more of this inclusive and ex-
elusive feel NJ than exists either at
kokomo or Napance. Many cit zens
OF the capital are either women, or
husbands OF women, and in prDsccut-
ing the ch "a ends of their lives they
are much around the dinmg-room ia
bic when not under it, and out of this
mundane pursuit is born the question
whether the wife of Cabinet officer is
TIA question now convulscs Washing
ton. While this debate is pending, all
heads are b g-heads. Could it be an
swcrcd some one class would be com
PEELED TO assume a normal state; the
other, or high-caste class. would then
be in danger of bursting with the inter-
nal ferment of greatness. Perhaps the
condition of suspense would involve
the less general injury and may be per-
United to continue.
The Talmudical philosophers suffer
ed under the suspense of n similar in
teilcctual inquiry. 1t is not, Which
is greater, the wife of Il Senator or
Cabinet oflicer?" But the inquiry was,
How many red hairs can a white COW
possess before it would become inn
proper to call it white cow Diff
cult indeed are these, and partly from
this difficulty came the Baconian tend
ency of letting the hair go, and judging
the COW by the richness of the cream.
This Baconian spirit prevades the West,